Frozen beef heart

Hello all,

One of the "treats" I give my fish is frozen beef heart (I think by
hikari), but today I saw fresh beef heart in my local butcher shop. About
$1.00 per pound compared to $8.00 for 24 cubes from the pet store. It is a
much better buy to get it from the butcher, but I'm not sure it's safe. Any
thoughts?

--Jim--

James and Vikki Gilby wrote:

Hello all,

One of the "treats" I give my fish is frozen beef heart (I think by
hikari), but today I saw fresh beef heart in my local butcher shop. About
$1.00 per pound compared to $8.00 for 24 cubes from the pet store. It is a
much better buy to get it from the butcher, but I'm not sure it's safe.
Any thoughts?

--Jim--

I use it regularly, the only provisos a

1) Before you shred it, remove ALL of the fat. Fortunately with beefheart,
that's largely on the outer layers.

2) It is MUCH easier to work with frozen. I use a food processor set on
grate.

3) Regular tank maintenance is a MUST. the high protein content (and some
fat, even if you remove all the visible stuff) of beefheart makes it a good
source of pollution if any does not get eaten. (this goes for pre-packaged
or not).

4) A strict diet of beefheart is not healthy for your fish, but since you
are using it as a treat, this is not much of an issue. If you are feeding
it more than say, once a week, you should add some vegetable matter
(shredded: spinach, zucchini, carrots, broccoli, etc.), and you might wish
to do so anyway.

On a side note, the addition of carrots to my fishes diets seems to enhance
their colour. Anyone care to comment? My guess is our old fried beta
carotene is involved somewhere.

Jeff

On a side note, the addition of carrots to my fishes diets seems to enhance
their colour. Anyone care to comment? My guess is our old fried beta
carotene is involved somewhere.

Jeff


did you just toss in a couple small cubes and they went for it right
away? or shredded. more interested in their initial reaction to the
stuff as far as eating or ignoring

On Wed, 05 May 2004 17:48:30 GMT, Jeff Pratt wrote:



On a side note, the addition of carrots to my fishes diets seems to enhance
their colour. Anyone care to comment? My guess is our old fried beta
carotene is involved somewhere.

Jeff


My ancistrus (bristle nose pleco) fry get boiled carrots at least once
a week.
They get lighter body color from this which greatly enhances their
appearance.

I tried just dropping in a chunk of raw carrot, and my fish ignored it (they
like raw zuchini or cucumber) -- Jim

My fish just love the zuchini. I highly reccomend it.

James and Vikki Gilby wrote in message
news:em9mc.17704$ph.17487@fed1read07...
Hello all,

One of the "treats" I give my fish is frozen beef heart (I think by
hikari), but today I saw fresh beef heart in my local butcher shop. About
$1.00 per pound compared to $8.00 for 24 cubes from the pet store. It is a
much better buy to get it from the butcher, but I'm not sure it's safe.
Any
thoughts?

We buy it fresh, (our butcher certifies it as 'organic' so we know there are
no hormones,
GM, or chemicals involved in the animals life)
trim the fat,
boil it, (skimming off the fat)
finely grate it.

Feed some fresh (devoured by angels/angel fry/clown loaches)
eaten by swordtails, mollies, platies and assorted others.

Freeze some in an ice cube tray.

Saves lots of money.

Dave

Thanks everyone now I know it's safe since others have done it with no
problems. Off to the butcher I go...

--Jim--

OldTownSta wrote:

I tried just dropping in a chunk of raw carrot, and my fish ignored it (they
like raw zuchini or cucumber) -- Jim

Raw carrot probably too hard, boil it or microwave it first and let it cool

It's a bloody mess....


Actually it's not that bad, considering the savings. WE did up a couple
pounds a few months ago, and just finishing it up now. Cut off all the fat,
etc., ran it through a meat grinder, mixed with gelatin, scooped into ice
cube trays, and was set.

For a test to make sure they'd eat it, stuck my finger in the beefheart
mixture, and into the tank... my fav acie just about took my finger with the
beefheart he enjoyed it do much.

Bala sharks, clown loaches, serphae tetras, you name it... all eat it....
the ghost knife loves it the most...

warning to those with small tanks, beef heart = BIG fish & BIGGER waste.




"James and Vikki Gilby" wrote in message
news:Fdbnc.18660$ph.11586@fed1read07...
Thanks everyone now I know it's safe since others have done it with no
problems. Off to the butcher I go...

--Jim--